Warriors stop Nets streak

After that yesterday’s shipwreck in torontoWarriors had neither the luxury of thinking nor the luxury of breathing. Alternately in the East, facing the young, athletic and confident Nets, the context looked like a trap. A scenario that Stephen Curry’s teammates managed to avoid to win 116-100.

However, the Warriors took the match from the wrong end. Lost balls, lack of rhythm, forced shots… It’s the worst for the Warriors at this start, and Brooklyn immediately takes advantage of the turnovers, with quick winning shots by Michael Porter Jr. and rookie Yegor Demin. The Nets went on a 12-0 run and quickly took a double-digit lead (18-8).

Butler, master of pace

Kerr has to take a timeout, and even Stephen Curry seems to have an off night. Golden State suffers athletically and seems to fall behind on every drive. We had to wait until the end of the quarter, led by the activity of Jimmy Butler and the energy of Trace Jackson-Davis, to see the Warriors get back on track (30-28).

As is often the case, the second unit changes the dynamic. Curry is playing with substitutions, the defense is going up, and Trace Jackson-Davis’ energy is hurting Brooklyn. The pace is accelerating, the leadership changes are coming one after the other (13 in the first half!). Rookie Will Richard did well, and at the break the Warriors took a commanding lead: 59-57.

Steve Kerr adjusts his five with the entry of Brandin Podziemski for more speed. Both teams struggled to score, and then Golden State went on a 10-2 run to regain the lead. When the game gets messy, Butler calms everyone down. True to his reputation, he slowed the game down when needed, attacked the rim and scored the Warriors’ final 11 points of the quarter. After him, the Warriors remain in front (89-85) before the last twelve minutes.

Curry saves the best for last

We are waiting for the Warriors to be less good, but on the contrary, they give themselves room to breathe with 8-0. Still with the incredible Will Richard, the gap stabilizes at around 12 points (107-95) with five minutes to go. Under the leadership of Demin, Brooklyn tried the last fight with a lightning 8-0 to get back to within four points (107-103, then 110-106).

But the matchup definitely turned on Stephen Curry’s key action: a remarkable floater that Nick Claxton was guilty of. In the back, De’Anthony Melton vs. Demin then goes for a layup, before an interception followed by a Will Richard dunk. The defense makes the difference and Golden State gets the job done without hesitation (116-100).

WHAT TO REMEMBER

Warriors drawn into a circle. All evening, the Warriors tried to go to the circle rather than spray from long range. Result: 28 baskets in the paint, 76% shooting. All 28 of 34 on free throws. The symbol of this aggressiveness is Jimmy Butler, the author of 21 points with 11 of 12 free throws.

An efficient “second unit”. Steve Kerr doesn’t hesitate to open his rotation wide, and his substitutions made the difference last night. They all end with a positive +/-, proof of their impact. We will remember the first half of Jackson-Davis, and the defense of Melton at the end of the match. Will Richard is as diligent as ever. As for Jonathan Kuminga, he is biding his time…

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Difference of points when the player is on the field; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.